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SSgt Workman is featured in the Hall of Heroes and a book review on this from Marine Till Death that read it as it was written: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/shadow-of-the-sword-by-jeremiah-workman-w-john-bruning.html

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179 posts from September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Hundreds of angry Muslims torched Buddhist temples and homes in southeastern Bangladesh early Sunday, complaining that a Buddhist man posted an anti-Islam photograph on Facebook.

Muslims in the Cox's Bazaar area, near the border with Buddhist-majority Burma, set fire to at least five Buddhist temples and dozens of homes. The rioters say a local Buddhist man posted a photograph that defamed the Quran, the Muslim holy book. The protesters took to the streets late Saturday.

Police say the situation was brought under control early Sunday.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties or if any arrests were made. VoA.

Kenyan police say a grenade attack at a church in the capital, Nairobi, killed a nine-year-old boy and wounded three other children on Sunday.

Police chief Moses Ombati says he believes the attack is tied to sympathizers of al-Shabab militants in Somalia.

On Friday, Kenyan forces battling al-Shabab in Somalia pushed into Port Kismayo, forcing the Islamist militants to retreat from the largest remaining stronghold.

Police say the children in Kenya were at a Sunday school service at Saint Polycarp Church in Nairobi when someone hurled a grenade into the building.

“We were just worshipping God in church when we suddenly heard an explosion and people started running for their lives but unfortunately we came to realize that the explosion had injured some kids who were taken to hospital and unfortunately one succumbed,'' said worshipper Irene Wambui.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Kenya has seen a series of similar attacks on churches since it sent troops into Somalia last year.

In July, gunmen threw grenades and opened fire inside two churches in the eastern town of Garissa, killing 17 people.

Prrime Minister Raila Odinga suggested the attacks were meant to spark tensions between Muslims and Christians. And he said the violence stemmed from terrorism, not religious conflict. VoA.

Iraqi officials say a wave of bombings struck Shi'ite neighborhoods, security forces and other targets across the country Sunday, killing at least 26 people and wounding scores of others. At least eight cities and towns were hit.

The deadliest attack occurred in Taji, a former al-Qaida stronghold just north of the capital, Baghdad. Three car bombs went off within minutes of each other there, killing at least eight people and wounded more than 24 others, including several policemen.

A suicide bomber in the southern city of Kut killed at least three police officers and wounded several others. And in Balad Ruz, northeast of the capital, a car bomb killed two policemen. Other areas hit with attacks included Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood, where multiple car bombs killed at least four people.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday's deadly explosions, but car bombs have been routinely used by al-Qaida's local affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq. The group says it has begun a new offensive against mainly Shi'ite targets in Iraq.

Three weeks ago, a similar wave of bombings killed more than 90 people during a 24-hour period that coincided with an Iraqi court sentencing the country's fugitive Sunni vice president to death for murder. VoA.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says he is “mad as hell” about attacks on Western troops by Afghan soldiers and police, known as “insider attacks.”

General John Allen said in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, scheduled to air late Sunday, “we are willing to sacrifice a lot for this campaign, but we are not willing to be murdered for it.”

Allen said that just as homemade bombs had become the signature weapon of the Iraq war, he believed that in Afghanistan, “the signature attack that we are beginning to see is going to be the insider attack.”

A Taliban leader told CBS the insider attacks are part of the militant group's new military strategy. He said the Taliban has its people planted in the Afghan police and the army.

More than 50 international troops have been killed this year in a series of insider attacks. A similar number of Afghan security force members have been killed in such attacks.

I encourage you to watch the video, to listen to all the General has to say, to listen to the words of President Karzai, and to listen to the words of the Taliban:

Coalition officials originally had reported an insider attack late Saturday was responsible for the death of a U.S. soldier, foreign contractor, and three Afghan soldiers. But NATO has issued a statement saying the incident possibly involved insurgent fire and coalition and Afghan officials are still investigating. VoA

The U.S. embassy in Cairo has issued a warning to U.S. women Christian missionaries of the dangers of terror attacks they face in the mostly Muslim Egypt.

In a statement on its website, the embassy says it has credible information suggesting terrorist interest in targeting U.S. female missionaries.

It asks U.S. citizens to exercise vigilance and take necessary precautions to maintain their personal security. It also urges them to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, which makes it easier for the U.S. diplomatic personnel to contact them in case of emergency.

Christians comprise 10 percent of Egypt's population of 83 million. They are regularly the target of attacks, discrimination, and marginalization in the mostly Muslim country. Right groups note Christians have also been the target of Islamist violence.

Meanwhile, the head of a House panel that oversees foreign aid said Friday she would move to block the distribution of $450 million of U.S. assistance to the new government of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Texas Republican Kay Granger said in a statement that the U.S.-Egypt relationship “has never been under more scrutiny, and rightly so.” Granger said she is not convinced of the urgent need for this assistance and cannot support it at this time.

The U.S. embassy in Cairo was damaged in recent "protests."

Barack Obama said the future of bilateral relations will depend on Cairo's response to the incident. He said Egypt's new government is trying to find its way and can be considered neither an enemy nor a friend. VoA.

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Sept. 30, 2012) - Afghan and coalition forces located three weapons caches and cleared four improvised explosive devices, and four insurgents died when their IED detonated prematurely, during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Sept. 29.

Ghazni ProvinceAfghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Ghazni District.

Hundreds of Libyans are turning in their weapons at collection points in the capital, Tripoli, and the eastern city of Benghazi.

Several men lined up at Martyrs' Square in the capital and Liberty Square in Benghazi, weapons and ammunition in hand, in an effort Saturday to help the Libyan army rid the streets of arms left over from last year's revolution.

Tens of thousands of Libyans rose up in protest against militia groups and marched through Benghazi earlier this month after an assault at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.

The protesters seized bases of armed militias in Benghazi and ousted the jihadist Islamist terrorist group, Ansar al-Shariah from its headquarters. Ansar al-Shariah has been linked to the consulate assault and al-Qaeda, but has denied the allegation.

Libyan President Mohammed el-Magarief has characterized the deadly September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate as a “pre-planned attack of terrorism.” The U.S. government initially said the attack erupted amid a large protest about a U.S.-made film that mocked the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, but administration officials confirmed this week that the attack was indeed a “planned” terrorist attack. VoA.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

The latest U.S. jobs report shows the country, for the first time, now has more people employed than when President Barack Obama took office in January, 2009.

The latest Labor Department figures issued Friday counters one of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's key talking points – that the nation has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs since the president took office and counter an Obama claim that he has added millions of jobs. Meanwhile, during the same period of time, Millions of Americans were added to those seeking work, and millions have given up finding work, reducing the official unemployment rate.

Mr. Romney was campaigning in the political battleground state of Pennsylvania Friday as news that revised labor figures indicate that while 13 million workers are unemployed, U.S. employers have added almost 400,000 more jobs during the 12 months ending in March than previously estimated. The unemployment figures do not include more than 7 Million Americans who want work as of August of 2012 but had not filed an application in the previous 4 weeks, or more than 88 Million Americans that are of working age but not employed.

That means the overall number of jobs in the U.S. labor market is now 125,000 higher than when Mr. Obama came into office, and that the jobs created since then offset those lost during his term. VoA.

There are 8.8 Million more in the US Labor Market (working age Americans) in July 2012 versus January 2009. (243,566,000 in 2012 versus 234,832,000 in January 2009.) According to the BLS, only 142,101,000 Americans are working, or 58.3%.

Somalia's terrorist group al-Shabab says it has withdrawn from Kismayo, its stronghold in the country, following a military strike by Kenyan forces.

The group said Saturday it had abandoned the Somali port city. On Friday, Kenyan forces attacked Kismayo in an operation designed to drive out the militant group. Al-Shabab vowed to strike back from outside the city.

The Kenyan military said Friday's attack involved land, sea and air forces and was done in coordination with African Union and Somali government troops.

In an interview with VOA, Johnnie Carson, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, said al-Shabab has been “effectively degraded,” but cautioned that they have not been entirely defeated yet.

Some residents reported that people on Saturday were looting buildings formerly occupied by al-Shabab personnel.

Kenyan forces claim they are in control of some of the northern parts of the city and plan to move into the southern areas in the coming days.

Al-Shabab, which is allied with al-Qaida, has used Kismayo's seaport to raise money through taxes, as well as to import weapons.

Kenyan forces entered Somalia last year after a series of cross-border kidnappings that Kenya blamed on the militant group.

Pro-Somali government forces have been moving toward Kismayo for more than a month. Kenyan warplanes and warships attacked Kismayo earlier this week ahead of the attempt to push the militants out.

The U.N. refugee agency reported Friday that about 12,000 people left Kismayo in the past month, in some cases to avoid forced recruitment by al-Shabab.

The terrorist group is seeking to overthrow Somalia's government and impose Sharia law in the country. The group once controlled most of southern and central Somalia, but has lost much of its territory over the past 18 months to pro-government forces.

Carson told VOA that the combined efforts of an African Union intervention force and Ethiopian, Kenyan, and Somali forces are contributing to political progress and an eventual return to stability in Somalia. VoA.

The Department of Defense announced today that Omar Ahmed Khadr was transferred from the detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Canada.

Omar Khadr pleaded guilty, pursuant to a pre-trial agreement in a military commission, to murder in violation of the law of war, attempted murder in violation of the law of war, conspiracy, providing material support for terrorism, and spying.

Pursuant to the pre-trial agreement, the convening authority approved an eight-year sentence of confinement. The pre-trial agreement specifies that one year of confinement must be served in the custody and control of the United States, and that Khadr could be transferred to Canada to serve the remainder of his sentence in accordance with Canadian law.

The United States Government has returned Khadr to Canada where he will serve out his emaining sentence. The United States coordinated with the government of Canada regarding appropriate security and humane treatment measures. In accordance with statutory reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer Khadr to Canada.

[WOTN Editor: While the admitted murderer, war criminal, and terrorist was sentenced to 8 years, into 2018 Canadian law allows him to be paroled in 2013, or after 3 years. The "deal" was negotiated by the Obama White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.]

Iran has vowed to retaliate against any attack, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the world to draw a “clear red line” on Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran's deputy U.N. ambassador, Eshagh al-Habib, accused Mr. Netanyahu of making “baseless allegations” against Tehran, which claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. World powers say Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly Friday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called on Iran to “stop playing for time.” He warned the “stability of the entire region is at stake” due to the unresolved dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

On Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu told delegates at the U.N. General Assembly that time was running out for the world to stop Iran. He used a drawing of a bomb to explain that a “red line” must be drawn before Iran completes the second stage of nuclear enrichment necessary to make a bomb.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke with the Israeli prime minister Friday. He told reporters after the call that he does not believe military action will be necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but said he cannot completely take the military option off the table.

Earlier this week, President Obama said the U.S. will do what is necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon but he did not give Iran any ultimatums. Obama did not have time to take out of his political campaign for re-election to meet with Netanyahu or other world leaders. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Mr. Netanyahu late Thursday. Officials did not provide any details of the talks.

Also Thursday, representatives of the P5+1 group of nations – the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss efforts to resume nuclear talks with Iran. A State Department official said the group “remains completely unified in wanting to get the Iranians to consider and to address the concerns of the international community, and that the P5+1 is completely united in ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.” VoA.

Two more journalists have been killed in Somalia, which has become one of the most dangerous places for media professionals in the world.

Residents and witnesses say the beheaded body of online sportswriter Abdirahman Mohamed Ali was found dumped near a restaurant north of Mogadishu on Thursday.

On Friday, local reporters told VOA that another journalist, Ahmed Abdullahi Fanah, was fatally shot while riding on a bus that had stopped at a security checkpoint in the capital. They say shots were fired after the bus driver and security officials got into an argument over vehicle fees and Fanah "apparently" was caught in the crossfire.

The incidents raise the number of journalists killed in Somalia to 15 this year. Most of the incidents have taken place in or near Mogadishu.

Laetita Bader, a Human Rights Watch researcher in Africa, says some of the attacks on journalists appear to have been deliberate.

“We have documented at least six in Mogadishu alone which appear to have been targeted killings and killings by gunmen,” she says.

Bader tells VOA it is unclear who is responsible for the violence.

“Several of these reporters have actually been producing reports which could be seen as controversial by many groups, and so it has been very difficult to say or to point fingers in one direction or another,” she says.

She says Human Rights Watch has been urging Somali authorities to carry out “prompt and credible investigations” into the attacks. VoA.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died Sept. 26, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device near their patrol. These Soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, 29, of Tucson, Ariz., and

Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, 28, of Lakehurst, N.J.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Samuel E. Lunday, of Marianna, Fla., will be buried today, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC. On April 24, 1943, Lunday and four other U.S. servicemen were flying a C-87 Liberator Express aircraft over the Himalayan Mountains, from Yangkai, China, to their home base in Chabua, India. After losing radio communications following take-off, the crew was never heard from again. Eleven aerial search missions were unable to locate the aircraft or crew due to intense snows on the mountains at high altitudes, and dense jungle growth at lower altitudes.

As part of the war effort against the Japanese, U.S. Army Air Forces cargo planes based in India continually airlifted critical supplies over the high mountain ranges that comprise the Himalayas -- known as "The Hump" -- in support of American airbases in China. The amount of materiel flown over the Himalayas was a logistical achievement unparalleled at the time.

Almost 60 years later, in 2003, an American citizen discovered the wreckage of the C-87 aircraft while trekking in the mountains, approximately 100 miles from Chabua, near the Burmese border. He recovered the aircraft's identification plate, military equipment and human remains. The artifacts and remains were turned over to U.S. officials for analysis. Attempts to excavate the site are being negotiated with the Indian government.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Marine Pfc. Richard S. Gzik, of Toledo, Ohio, will be buried today, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC. On Dec. 2, 1950, Gzik and the other Marines of M Battery, 11th Artillery Regiment, 1st Marine Division, came under attack on the west side of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. It was during this battle that Gzik was killed in action and his remains were buried alongside the road leading to Hagaru-ri. Later that month, the withdrawal of U.N. forces from the Chosin Reservoir region made it impossible to recover Gzik's remains.

In 1954, United Nations and Communist Forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called "Operation Glory." All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army Central Identification Unit for analysis. Those which were unable to be identified, given the technology of that time, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii -- the "Punchbowl."

In 2012, analysts from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) re-examined the case records and determined that advances in technology could likely aid in the identification of the unknown remains as Gzik. Once the remains were exhumed, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including dental records and radiographs, to validate Gzik's identification.

Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously buried as unknown. Today, 7,947 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

Kenyan forces have attacked the Somali port city of Kismayo, in an effort to drive out al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabab.

Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna said Friday's early morning attack included both maritime and air forces in coordination with African Union and Somali government troops.

Oguna said Kenyan forces took control of the city “with minimum resistance.” However, al-Shabab said on Twitter that “Kismayo remains firmly in the hands” of its fighters, and witnesses report ongoing fighting.

The African Union force in Somalia, AMISOM, urged all fighters in Kismayo to lay down their arms and promised safety to those who give up peacefully.

Kismayo is a stronghold of al-Shabab, which has used the town's seaport to bring in weapons and other supplies.

Kenyan forces entered Somalia last year after a series of cross-border kidnappings that Kenya blamed on the militant group.

Al-Shabab is seeking to overthrow Somalia's government and impose Sharia law in the country.

The group once controlled most of southern and central Somalia, but has lost much of its territory over the past 18 months to pro-government forces. VoA.

Burk, a hazardous materials management coordinator with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), was on his way to work when he heard the first rocket-propelled grenade explode behind him.

Avoiding the giant fireball from the explosion, he had driven straight into an ambush of heavily armed insurgents firing at his four-wheeled tractor, which had no armor to stop the barrage of bullets striking all around him.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ethan Burk stands in front of a bullet-riddled concrete barrier scarred from the Sept. 14, 2012, night attack on Camp Bastion in Helmand province Afghanistan. Carrying a bullet-scarred rifle and wounded during the attack, Burk and another Marine maneuvered out of the kill zone to inform the British Army's quick reaction force of the insurgents' fighting position. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James Mercure

"I could see the muzzle flashes from the corner of the compound," said Burk, a Milford, Texas native. "That's when I realized they were all aiming at me. I felt something hit my arm, but I thought I had just banged it on something. Then I rolled out of the [tractor] and ducked. When I reached for my rifle they started shooting at me again, and that's when I realized they had a lot more firepower than I did because they were firing too fast for just regular AK-47s."

Maneuvering behind a barrier, Burk could only see and judge the insurgents' movements in the darkness by their muzzle flashes. So he pressed on, trying to use the flight line's light to see where the insurgents had holed up so he could get the drop on them.

After moving to a covered position, one of his friends and the only other Marine in the area, Lance Cpl. Kevin Sommers, a cryogenics technician, jumped over a barrier and almost landed on top of Burk. The two Marines waited for the insurgents to try and flank them. When they didn't, the pair climbed over concrete barriers to get better firing points at the enemy.

"Once we realized they weren't coming after us, we jumped over the T-walls and cleared out the area behind the barriers. At that point the British [quick reaction force] showed up, and the [helicopters] were shooting from their main guns at the insurgents fighting position right overhead," Burk said. "We flagged the soldiers down with a light and yelled 'Marines, Marines, Marines' to let them know the situation. The guy in charge of the British QRF told us to go get my arm checked out because he saw the blood on my uniform."

After Burk and Sommers checked in for accountability, Burk went to a corpsman and found out he had been shot in the elbow by one of the insurgent's machine gun rounds.

"After I had it X-rayed, they found two pieces of the bullet still lodged in my arm and they had to surgically remove it," Burk explained. "After the whole ordeal, they asked if I wanted to go home because I was injured, and I told them I just got here, why would I want to go home?"

The Army released suicide data today for the month of August. During August, among active-duty soldiers, there were 16 potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and 13 remain under investigation. For July, the Army reported 26 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: 13 have been confirmed as suicides and 13 remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 131 potential active-duty suicides: 80 have been confirmed as suicides and 51 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During August, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were nine potential suicides (five Army National Guard and four Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicide and nine remain under investigation. For July, among that same group, the Army reported 12 potential suicides (nine Army National Guard and three Army Reserve); four have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 80 potential not on active-duty suicides (49 Army National Guard and 31 Army Reserve): 59 have been confirmed as suicides and 21 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

"The loss of any life is a tragedy, and this loss is preventable," said Sergeant Major of the Army Ray Chandler. "As an organization, we've taken huge strides in providing our Soldiers, Department of Army Civilians and Family members the needed resources to aid in suicide prevention, but our work isn't done. Army leaders will continue to do everything we can to reverse these trends."

To that end, 27 September 2012, leaders throughout our Army conducted suicide prevention training, resilience-building, and mentoring in observance of Army Suicide Stand Down Day.

A U.S. official says police have arrested the filmmaker behind the video that sparked weeks of deadly protests across the Muslim world. He is being charged with use of an alias (Sam Bacile) and accessing the internet without authorization.

Thom Mrozek of the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said Thursday that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was taken into custody and will immediately appear in federal court ahead of a bail hearing.

Nakoula – allegedly the real identity behind the pseudonym Sam Bacile, the director of “Innocence of Muslims” – was briefly taken into custody earlier this month for questioning by his probation officer.

The film depicting Muhammad "offended" Islamists and has been used as an excuse for a wave of anti-American protests that have cost several lives and saw mobs burn U.S. missions, schools and businesses.

The developments came as the United States temporarily withdrew more staff from its embassy in the Libyan capital for security reasons, but said it hopes to return them to Tripoli early next week.

A senior U.S. official, speaking in New York where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is attending the U.N. General Assembly, declined to say how many staff were being withdrawn or discuss specifics.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said there can be no doubt the deadly assault on the U.S. Consulate in eastern Libya that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, was a planned “terrorist attack.”

Panetta said an ongoing investigation into the attack has yet to determine which group was involved and whether it has links to al-Qaida.

Libyan Prime Minister-elect Mustafa Abushagur said Thursday the investigation is progressing, but added there was no “complete definite investigation to say who did this yet.” He said the Libyan and U.S. governments were closely cooperating on the investigation.

Panetta's remarks come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton linked al-Qaida's North African branch to the assault at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya.

Clinton told a special United Nations meeting on North Africa's Sahel region Wednesday that al-Qaida in the Islamic (West) Maghreb is using the area as a haven to support extremism and terrorist violence in countries like Libya.

The top U.S. diplomat also said American intelligence and law enforcement agencies are increasing their cooperation with regional countries to investigate the September 11 attack in Benghazi.

Libyan President Mohammed el-Magarief has also characterized the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate as a “pre-planned attack of terrorism.”

From the beginning, Libyan officials have pointed to foreign involvement in the assault, even as they are attempting to crack down on the extremist militias that clearly had a role in the attack.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has for the first time explicitly linked al-Qaida's North African branch to the attack at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Clinton told a special United Nations meeting on North Africa's Sahel region Wednesday that al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (West) is using the area as a haven to support extremism and terrorist violence in countries like Libya.

She said the regional al-Qaida group is working with other violent extremists “to undermine the democratic transitions under way in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.”

The top U.S. diplomat also said American intelligence and law enforcement agencies are increasing their cooperation with regional countries to investigate the September 11 attack in Benghazi.

Earlier Wednesday, Libyan President Mohammed el-Magarief also characterized the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate as a “pre-planned attack of terrorism.”

In an interview with U.S.-based NBC News, Mr. Magarief said the attack had nothing to do with protests against an anti-Islam film.

“It was launched with a high degree of accuracy, which means that the perpetrators must have had some kind of exercise on how to hit, how to launch this act.”

From the beginning, Libyan officials have pointed to foreign involvement in the assault, even as they are attempting to crack down on the extremist militias that clearly had a role in the attack.

The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama also considers the incident a terrorist strike.

The assault took place on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Ghazni ProvinceAfghan National Army soldiers detained an insurgent during an engagement in Qarah Bagh District. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Qarah Bagh District.

Kapisa ProvinceAfghan National Police and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Nejrab District.

Kunar ProvinceAfghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared an IED in Darah Ye Pech District.

Logar ProvinceAfghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Pul-E Alam District.

Paktika ProvinceAfghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Bermal District.

Paktiya ProvinceAfghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Dzadran District. The cache contained small arms, grenades, a mortar round and explosives.

Parwan ProvinceAfghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained three insurgents who were emplacing an IED in Bagram District. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, 23, of North Chicago, Ill., died Sept. 22 as a result of a single vehicle accident in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was assigned to an East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

A British court has delayed the extradition of terrorist Abu Hamza to the United States after he lodged a fresh appeal.

The court plans to hold a full hearing next Tuesday. It did not say on what grounds Abu Hamza and another terrorist, Khaled Al-Fawwaz, are appealing the extradition orders.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled Monday that Abu Hamza and four others could be sent to the United States. The British Home Office says it intends to turn them over to the U.S. as soon as possible.

U.S. authorities have charged Abu Hamza with trying to set up a terrorist-training camp in the northwestern U.S. state of Oregon, and helping al-Qaida seize hostages in Yemen.

The Egyptian-born Abu Hamza lost an eye and both hands fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. He also headed a London mosque and was jailed in Britain for encouraging young Muslims to launch a holy war against non-believers.

Earlier this week, the BBC apologized to Buckingham Palace after a journalist reported that Queen Elizabeth had at one time complained that Abu Hamza was out of jail and making hate speeches. VoA.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Libya's president says the attack that resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was a “pre-planned attack of terrorism.”

In a Wednesday interview with the U.S.-based “NBC News,” President Mohammed el-Magarief said the attack had nothing to do with protests against an anti-Islam film.

“It was launched with a high degree of accuracy which means that the perpetrators must have had some kind of exercise on how to hit, how to launch this act.”

Syrian officials say a pair of explosions targeted a military building in central Damascus but did not wound any commanders.

The blasts happened minutes apart Wednesday, leaving part of the building in flames.

Information Minister Omran Zoubi said the explosions caused only “material damage” and blamed terrorists for the attack. A Syrian military statement said one of the explosions came from a car bomb.

Iran's Press TV said one of its correspondents was killed by sniper fire and the Damascus bureau chief for another state-run news organization was injured Wednesday as they reported on the bombings.

The explosions are the latest to hit the capital during the country's 18-month conflict, following a bombing Tuesday at a building occupied by pro-government militias. Rebels said they hoped that attack would kill top-level security officials.

Last month, bombings struck the state television headquarters in Damascus and near a hotel used by United Nations observers. A bomb attack in July killed Syria's sitting defense minister and three other top security officials.

World leaders speaking at the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday called for an end to the conflict in Syria.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the assembly the world must “stop the violence and flows of arms to both sides, and set in motion a Syrian-led transition as soon as possible.”

France called for U.N. protection of rebel-held areas to help end Syria's bloodshed and rights abuses. VoA.

Security sources said the device went off at a point along a road in the city of Tunceli as a military vehicle was passing by. At least six soldiers and one civilian were killed. Another vehicle was also hit by the blast.

Smoke from the blast could be seen over much of the city, as ambulances rushed to the scene.

Communist Chinese President Hu Jintao has launched the country's first aircraft carrier into service, raising new concerns about Beijing's growing military strength.

Premier Wen Jiabao and other high-ranking officials joined hundreds of navy personnel in the ceremony Tuesday at Dalian port in northeastern China.

China bought the 300-meter Soviet-built vessel in 1998 from Ukraine and had it refitted at Dalian. It is named Liaoning after China's northeast province where the port is located.

The defense ministry said the aircraft carrier, is an important step in “raising the overall fighting capacity” of its naval forces.

China is involved in a major diplomatic dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea, as well as disputes with Vietnam and the Philippines over oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea. So its rapidly growing naval strength raises regional concerns. But officials say the carrier is no threat to its neighbors.

Yang Yi, a rear admiral and former director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the PLA's National Defense University, said the carrier will be “mainly responsible for scientific research and training missions.”

Writing in the official China Daily, Yang deflected international criticism of China's expansion of its naval forces. He said “it is natural that China should have its own aircraft carrier,” arguing that all major world powers already own similar vessels.

China, the last permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to own an aircraft carrier, is also reported to be developing domestically built carriers. VoA.

Khowst ProvinceAfghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared an IED in Sabari District.

Afghan National Security Forces killed an insurgent during an engagement in Tanai District.

Laghman ProvinceAfghan Local Police killed three insurgents and wounded one during an engagement in Mehtar Lam District. The wounded received medical care and was transferred to a base for questioning.

On Monday, the court ruled against the defendants' appeal that they would face inhumane treatment if transferred to the United States.

The British government welcomed the ruling and said it would work to ensure the extraditions would happen “as quickly as possible.”

The Egyptian-born Hamza has been serving a seven-year sentence in Britain for inciting his followers to attack non-Muslims.

He is wanted in the United States on a group of charges, including establishing an al-Qaida-style training camp in the northwestern state of Oregon. A federal grand jury also charged him with providing support to terrorists, taking hostages in Yemen and conspiracy to supply goods and services to the Taliban.

Hamza is the former imam of the Finsbury Park mosque which he transformed in the 1990s into the heart of Islamic radicalization in Britain. VoA.

Pakistani security officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed at least five Islamist terrorists in a restive tribal region near the Afghan border.

The two missiles fired late Monday from the unmanned American spy aircraft slammed into a compound in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan. Some of the dead were believed to be foreign fighters, but it is unclear what nationality.

There has been a dramatic increase in U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan since May.

The drone program is extremely controversial in Pakistan, where residents view it as a violation of their sovereignty and say it often results in civilian deaths. But the Obama Administration says it is vital to combating militants that threaten the United States.

Pakistan's semi-autonomous northwestern tribal belt is considered the main hub of Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan. VoA.

USMC: QUANTICO, Va., Sept. 24, 2012 - Charges against two Marines were referred to trial by courts-martial Sept. 21 for their alleged involvement in urinating on deceased Taliban fighters and for posing for unofficial photographs with human casualties in Afghanistan.

The incident allegedly took place during a counterinsurgency operation near Sandala in the Musa Qala district of Afghanistan's Helmand province on or about July 27, 2011. The charges were referred to courts-martial by Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills, the Commanding General of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

Monday, September 24, 2012

The Palestinian finance minister says a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in jeopardy if the Palestinian Authority does not get urgent funding to address its budget crisis.

Nabeel Kassis said Sunday after a meeting with donor nations in New York that the Palestinian Authority needs the money to continue functioning and prepare for statehood.

He said donors have yet to fulfill $300 million in pledges. Some of that money has been promised by the United States.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund issued reports ahead of the meeting warning of serious financial challenges facing the Palestinian Authority, including a $400 million budget shortfall.

The Norwegian chair of the donor support group known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee said the economic crisis is “dire and getting worse.”

The World Bank report called for urgent action from donors.

An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said Sunday that Israel is “very concerned” about the Palestinian economic situation, and that government has taken several actions including releasing advance tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority.

Israelis and Palestinians have not held direct peace talks since 2010, when Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the West Bank. VoA.

Vietnam has sent three bloggers to prison for spreading “propaganda against the state” by posting on the Internet their writings about human rights abuses, corruption and foreign policy.

The defendants – two men and a woman – were sentenced Monday in Ho Chi Minh City, following a trial that lasted a few hours.

U.S. President Barack Obama mentioned blogger Nguyen Van Hai, who received a 12-year sentence, in a speech earlier this year. Ta Phong Tan, a former police officer whose mother set herself on fire to protest her daughter's plight, was given 10 years in prison. Phan Thanh Hai was given a four-year sentence.

Syrian activists say government warplanes again bombed the country's commercial capital early Monday, killing five people including three children.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the opposition Local Coordination Committees said the early morning strikes destroyed two buildings in the southern part of the city. Amateur video claimed to show survivors and others digging through the rubble for victims.

Other video from Homs, shown on the Al Jazeera television network, showed smoke rising from parts of the city, amid reports of more shelling and fighting there.

The violence takes place as the United Nations' and Arab League joint envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, is to brief the U.N. Security Council on his recent talks in the region. Brahimi visited Syria this month, meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition representatives.

The Syrian conflict is expected to be one of the biggest issues when the United Nations General Assembly gets underway Tuesday in New York.

On Saturday, Brahimi and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed how to address what a U.N. statement called the “appalling levels of violence” in Syria. They said they hoped the U.N. session will be an opportunity to increase support for addressing the grave humanitarian situation and its impact on neighboring countries.

Eighteen months of fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels opposed to Mr. Assad has left about 20,000 people dead. VoA.

Afghanistan

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